Locating free offers online can be very exciting, and for many individuals, the hunt for freebies is as fun as actually enjoying the free products themselves. There is a dark side to freebie offers, however. Many fraud artists have come to realize that pretending to offer free things is a great way to fool people into handing over private information which an be used in identity theft operations or even con them out of cold, hard cash. Staying out of harm’s way is of utmost importance when searching for free stuff online. There are some things you can do to make sure you freebie hunting only brings you first-rate offers – these common sense rules are a wonderful place to start.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The reason you have heard that so many times is that it almost always is the case. Think about the wisdom of businesses that give away free things. Corporations don’t just give away free products online because they have a guilty conscience. They want you try to their products in the hope that you will come back to them as a paying customer in the future, and for the good will of their company over all. They’re undeniably not doing it go in debt.

So think about if the free offer you just saw now makes sense. Does it make really sense that a business will give you a free bag of their new flavor of chips or a sample size jar of their new face cream? No doubt, because if you like it, you may purchase these products in the future. Now, does it make sense that a company will give you an all benefits paid, two-week first class trip to Bali for you and ten of your friends? Not so much. Too good to be true free offers online can end up costing you time and money later.

By the same standard, the more eccentric an offer sounds, the more you have to be aware of the small print. Sure the hotel chain may be willing to give you a free staycation in their beachfront hotel. The details in the offer might say that you have to consent to spend 10 hours a day at a sales seminar or that the free weekend is yours after you pay for a two week stay. One actual airline ran an offer for a free coach class airplane ticket from New York to London. The small print said you had to buy two, full price first class tickets on that same route before you could get the free one – at a cost of around ,000 per ticket. Before you jump, make sure you get all of the specifics.

Free offers that essentially require you to shell out some money are big red lights. Sometimes they are real – after all, if you are used to paying full price first class airfare, a free coach class ticket can be a real score. All this really means is that when you’re required to pay to get free stuff, you’re about to get scammed. You should never send money, even for postage, to a company that you don’t know. Also, keep an eye on the costs for things like postage even if you do know the company name. If they’re asking for postage to send you a free periodical, then you know something is up.

Lastly, beware giving out too much private information. It’s not necessary for them to have your bank account info. Protect your personal info and if you’re unsure, move on to the next freebie offer.